Oil-pumping system



Jan. l, 1.9.29. 1,697,605

C. E. LLJGKE QIL PUMPING SYSTEM Filed March 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet "1 ATToNEY Jan. 1, l1929.`

t. LUCKE QI'L PUMPING SYSTEM med March 16, 1926 2 shuts-sheet 2 Qr-:LUcQKE IN NToR Patented Jan.` 1, 1929.

CHARLES R. LUcKE, or NRW YORK,v N.. Y., AssIGNoR To AWOR'I'IIINGToN-fIuM-I? nm) M-AcHINRRY CORPORATION, or NRW YORK, N. Y., `afcoRroRn'rIoN 'on VIRGINIA.

OIL-PUMPING SYSTEM.

l Ap'plcatonrled .March 16, 1926. Serial No.'l95,16`0.v Y

This invention relates to oil pumping systems and an object of theinvention is topprovide a systemfor lowering the viscosityof petroleum, in itscrude state or its products,

. to permit the use of standardized circulating pumps at maximum efficiency in pumping the oilfrom one place to another.

Owing to thevariability of the viscosity of oils (petroleum, crude or its products), foundin dierent 'oilproducing sections of the country and also dueto the vfact that in'some cases the oil does itself vary, difficulty has' been experienced in the use of oil circulating pumps and particularly centrifugal pumps v15 for for pumping the oil as viscosity of fluids pumped affects pump performance. When the viscosity is greater than a'certain amount, 'the pump practically, or actually stops delivery because .it does not properly ll. "These conditions necessitate a different. design ofv pump .for each oil off'a. particular viscosity, and to permit thefuse of standardized cir-` culating pumps land to obtainthe highest epfiiciency thereof, in pumping such oils it is necessary to maintain a pre-determined lowvalue viscosity of the oil. ,n p An object of the presentinvention is to provide a system formaintaining the desired low-value viscosity of the oil tobe pumped,

which system will berelatively inexpensive in operation and permit the utilizing ofjtheV maximum amount lof heat from the oil itself, in standardizing the viscosity, an'd 4will use a minimum amount of fuel in the heating of theoil, butin cases where the prime mover of thel pump generates heat, such as internal Y combustion engines, the invention compref hends therutilizing of the waste heat discharged from the exhaust .of 'the engine for heating the oil to lower its viscosity. One form of the invention comprehend the provision, in an oil pumping system of a'heater which initially heats the oilto provide the desired low-value viscosity prior to the entrance of the oil into the pump and which system further embodies a heat ex-` changer through which the heatedl oil from the pump is forced and through which the oil on its travel to the pump, passes, thereby permitting the exchanging of the heat from the oil pumped from the pump to the oil going to the pump for lowering the viscosity of the oil and permitting a cutting out of the operation of the heater until the heat absorbed by brought into effective operation for'heating the incoming oil i during Sits passage-through the heat kexchanger isinsulficient to lower the viscosity'ofthe il'fto the desiredlow lvalue after which time the heater `may be again.V

the Oil. Y i

With these objects in view, fthe .invention consists in various features ofconstruction andcombination of parts, .which willbe firstf described in connection .with .the accompanying drawings, showingan oil .pumping'system of the preferred form embodying the in# vention, and the features 4vformingthe invention will be specifically rpointedout in the claimspf` f ff Figure l ,illustrates'in a diagrammaticv manner the `improved oil pumping "system utilizing` .a heater and a heat 1 exchanger fin which the incoming .oil'is heatedbytheout? going oil. f; y Figure 2 illustrates in a diagrammaticmanner an improvedoil pumping `system rutilizing an internal combustion engine the exe" haust of which heats lower its viscosity.' l y l VReferring p more particularly.; tothe drawiings thecold oilfroin the .pipeline .to the pump suctionpassesfrom the pipe .lintothek sinuously curved pipelQ of the heat exchangerV structure '3, and passes fromthe pp ipe2into, the tubes 4' of theheater 5 through-a suitable' 85 pipe or conduit l6. 'When the systemlisflrstv l started (the oil `isheatedin.the'heater heat supplied fromfano'ilburnerT ofany approvedconstruction. The heat [from .the burner 7 andztlienumber of tubes 4areregulated to heat Vthe *oilv suiiiciently 4to .lower lits viscosityxto a desired low value,:and ater` leaving the tubes o`f thezheaterthe oilpasses into the suctionof a circulatingpumpQS .from which it is discharged through ,the .pipe 9 into the, pipes l()v ofthe-heat. exchanger. Thel heated oil. passing .through .the Ypipes .10 v.of

theheat exchanger '3,pvasses about thepipe n.

2 and kthe ,oillpassing through the pipe .Qlto

theheater 5 andv pump Sishe'ated'by theloo' Y l it Will, therefore, be unnecessary to heat the oil in the heater and for this reason any suitable means may be provided for controlling the operation of the burner 7. Control ofthe operationA of the burner 7 may be had by a manually operated valve 12 or by a thermostatic control structure of any approved type as indicated at 13. If the operation of the burner 7 is manually controlled, it will be necessary, only to watch the operationof y the pump 8, and when it. fails to operate properly due to the raising of the viscosity of the oilby/failu're of proper heating in the heat exchangento open the supply of fuel toy the burner'7 andl permit'heating' of the oil in the heater 5 untilsuch time as sufficient t heat is exchanged in the heat exchanger 3 to again permit the cutting off of the heating of the heater 5.

With' the exchanger 3 properly designed and arranged, the oil passing therethrough fto'the pump, will be very much heated without the expenditure land loss of any more heat than that which corresponds to radiation and such loss is made up by the heater 5 .and it will be apparent that the system maywork 'for relatively long periods without the generating of heat by the heater 5 and solely with the action of the exchanger, permitting the heater to be operated internnttentIy.- VrIn jt-he modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure2 of the drawings, an internal `combustion engine 2O of any approved design is illustrated as the prime mover for operatingthe' circulating pumpv 21 and in this system the exhaust gases from the engine 20 pass lfrom'the exhaust pipe 22 into a heatexchanger 23. The incoming oil from the' .pipe liney of the pump suction passes through the sinuous pipe 2&1 of the heat exchanger and is 'heated by the outgoing ex haust gasesfromthe engine. The exhaust gases from the engine are distributed to the atmosphere from'the outlet 25 of the heat exchanger.

.From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that with an oil pumping system constructed lin, either the preferred or modified form oil, regardless of its normalviseosity, may be heated to a desired low-value viscosity and by'heating dif-V ferent oils to different degrees they may be brought to substantially the same viscosity which will permit the effective and efficient operation of a standard circulating pump in the pumping of the oil. Y

While this invention is particularly adapted for use with centrifugal pumps, it is to be understood that it is also adaptable for use with rotary or vdisplacement pumps.

It will be understood that theinvention is not to be limited to the specific construction u or arrangement of arts shown but that these may be modifie widely within the invention defined by the claims. v f

What I claim is: v

l; In an oil pumping system, the/combination with a pump, of means for regulating the viscosity of oil flowing to the pump suction to a pre-determined Value including a heat exchanger through which the oilpasses, said heat exchanger utilizing the oil during onepart of its passage through the system as the heating 'medium Vfor heating the oil.

2. In an oil pumping system, the combination with a pump, of means for maintaining a pre-determined viscosity of the oil passing to the pump including, a heater, and a heat exchanger through which the oil passes lto the heater and through which the oil isV pumped from the pump delivery.

3. In an oil pumping system, the combinaoil passes to the heaterand through whichv i the oil is pumped from the pump delivery, and control means operated by the temperature of the oil passing to the heater for con-V trolling operation of the heater. Y

5. In an oil pumping system, thev combination with a pump, of means for regulating the viscosity of oil flowing to the pump suction, includingl a heat exchanger throughv which the oil passes to the pump suction and through which the oil is'pumped from the pump delivery, saidrheat exchanger'utilizing the oil during one part of its passage through the system as the heating medium.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES E. LUCKE. 

